Providing a secure communication path for receiving a software update

• US 10,728,237 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: DeBickes, Nicole Melissa, Carter, Jason Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Getachew, Abiy
• Application Number:
  US15/373,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and software can be used to send or receive a software update. In some aspects, a software update notification is received at an electronic device. The software update notification indicates a security requirement. A network connection determined to be secure for receiving a software update based on the security requirement. The software update is downloaded using the network connection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, a software update notification for a software upgrade that upgrades software on the electronic device, wherein the software update notification comprises a security requirement, and the security requirement comprises at least one of a certificate requirement or an encryption requirement for evaluating a security level of a network connection used to receive the software update;

determining, by the electronic device, based on the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement, that a network connection is secure for receiving the software update, wherein the determining that the network connection is secure comprises comparing a certificate or an encryption of the network connection with the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement included in the software update notification; and

in response to determining that the network connection is secure, downloading, by the electronic device, the software update using the network connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the software update notification identifies a server storing the software update.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the software update notification is received from an enterprise mobility management (EMM) server associated with the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the security requirement comprises the certificate requirement, and determining that the network connection is secure comprising determining that the certificate requirement is met for the network connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the security requirement identifies a network connection profile that is used to establish the network connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the software update is used to update an operation system (OS) that executes on the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, establishing the network connection based on the security requirement.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

receive, at the electronic device, a software update notification for a software upgrade that upgrades software on the electronic device, wherein the software update notification comprises a security requirement, and the security requirement comprises at least one of a certificate requirement or an encryption requirement for evaluating a security level of a network connection used to receive the software update;

determine, by the electronic device, based on the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement, that a network connection is secure for receiving the software update, wherein the determination that the network connection is secure comprises comparing a certificate or an encryption of the network connection with the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement included in the software update notification; and

in response to determining that the network connection is secure, download, by the electronic device, the software update using the network connection.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the software update notification identifies a server storing the software update.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the software update notification is received from an enterprise mobility management (EMM) server associated with the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the security requirement comprises the certificate requirement, and determining that the network connection is secure comprising determining that the certificate requirement is met for the network connection.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the security requirement identifies a network connection profile that is used to establish the network connection.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the software update is used to update an operation system (OS) that executes on the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to establish the network connection based on the security requirement.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause an electronic device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at the electronic device, a software update notification for a software upgrade that upgrades software on the electronic device, wherein the software update notification comprises a security requirement, and the security requirement comprises at least one of a certificate requirement or an encryption requirement for evaluating a security level of a network connection used to receive the software update;

determining, by the electronic device, based on the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement, that a network connection is secure for receiving the software update, wherein the determining that the network connection is secure comprises comparing a certificate or an encryption of the network connection with the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement included in the software update notification; and

in response to determining that the network connection is secure, downloading, by the electronic device, the software update using the network connection.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the software update notification identifies a server storing the software update.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the software update notification is received from an enterprise mobility management (EMM) server associated with the electronic device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the security requirement comprises the certificate requirement, and determining that the network connection is secure comprising determining that the certificate requirement is met for the network connection.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the security requirement identifies a network connection profile that is used to establish the network connection.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the software update is used to update an operation system (OS) that executes on the electronic device.

21. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from an enterprise mobility management (EMM) server to an electronic device, a software update notification that upgrades software on a software upgrade of the electronic device, wherein

the software update notification comprises a security requirement,

the security requirement comprises at least one of a certificate requirement or an encryption requirement for evaluating a security level of a network connection used to receive the software update, and

the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement included in the software update notification is used by the electronic device to compare with a certificate or an encryption of the network connection to determine whether the network connection is secure for the electronic device to receive the software update.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the software update notification identifies a server storing the software update.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the security requirement comprises the certificate requirement for the network connection.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the security requirement identifies a network connection profile that is used to establish the network connection.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the software update is used to update an operation system (OS) that executes on the electronic device.

26. A enterprise mobility management (EMM) server, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

transmit, from the EMM server to an electronic device, a software update notification that upgrades software on a software upgrade of the electronic device, wherein

the software update notification comprises a security requirement,

the security requirement comprises at least one of a certificate requirement or an encryption requirement for evaluating a security level of a network connection used to receive the software update, and

the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement included in the software update notification is used by the electronic device to compare with a certificate or an encryption of the network connection to determine whether the network connection is secure for the electronic device to receive the software update.

27. The EMM server of claim 26, wherein the software update notification identifies a server storing the software update.

28. The EMM server of claim 26, wherein the security requirement comprises the certificate requirement for the network connection.

29. The EMM server of claim 26, wherein the security requirement identifies a network connection profile that is used to establish the network connection.

30. The EMM server of claim 26, wherein the software update is used to update an operation system (OS) that executes on the electronic device.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause an enterprise mobility management (EMM) server to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, from the EMM server to an electronic device, a software update notification that upgrades software on a software upgrade of the electronic device, wherein

the software update notification comprises a security requirement,

the security requirement comprises at least one of a certificate requirement or an encryption requirement for evaluating a security level of a network connection used to receive the software update, and

the at least one of the certificate requirement or the encryption requirement included in the software update notification is used by the electronic device to compare with a certificate or an encryption of the network connection to determine whether the network connection is secure for the electronic device to receive the software update.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the software update notification identifies a server storing the software update.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the security requirement comprises the certificate requirement for the network connection.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the security requirement identifies a network connection profile that is used to establish the network connection.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the software update is used to update an operation system (OS) that executes on the electronic device.